Nigeria’s victory at the 2016 ITTF Junior Circuit, tagged ‘Egypt Open’, was not an easy one for the tennis junior team who had their work cut out for them from the preliminary stages of the continental event.
Tennis stars
Junior players, Amadi Omeh and Azeez Solanke, won Nigeria’s first gold medal at the tournament, after defeating Egyptian duo Attia Ammar and Elsafty Omar in the cadet boys’ double event.
From the group stage of the games, Omeh and Solanke had positioned themselves as a strong force, asserting their dominance of the game with each team they played against.
In the final of the junior cadet boys double, the Nigerian duo lost their first game to the Egyptians 11-7, and were put under severe pressure as the game progressed.
Omeh and Solanke quickly rose to the occasion with a huge comeback to claim the hard fought win with 8-11,11-7,11-4, winning Nigeria’s first gold medal at the tournament which took centre stage at the Cairo International Stadium.
In the cadet boys’ singles event, Omeh, failed to retain his title as he lost narrowly to Egypt’s Farouk Mazen 5-11,11-9,11-8,7-11,11-7 in the quarter-final.
Abayomi Animasahun could also not progress into the semi-final round as he lost to India’s Jain Payas 8-11,5-11,11-9,11-5,9-11 in the quarter-final.
Source
Guardian Ng
Featured Image Source: ITTFTV